Article

2004-12-08 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Russian Parliament Passes Bill to End Election of Governors

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Posted by Steve 2004-12-08 9:12:36 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Putin ~~is becoming~~ has become a monster

Posted by 2b 2004-12-08 9:43:49 AM|| 2004-12-08 9:43:49 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Putin's not the problem. It's an institutional problem that goes back to Yeltsin and, really, the CPSU. Russia's government doesn't really govern. It can't pass laws, enforce the laws, administer justice, protect its borders, put down mickey-mouse insurrections, or pay pensions (unless oil's >$40/bbl) or fund hospitals or schools.

Our incompetent MSM journos are incapable of reporting on this, the truly important story in Russia, but the fact remains: Russia is a failing state.

Posted by lex 2004-12-08 10:18:28 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:18:28 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Compare the current situation in Poland and Russia. Poland took the hard medicine to evolve their economy, government, and society. The Russians took a dead end.

Posted by Don 2004-12-08 10:24:24 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:24:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Back to the Soviet model, since that worked so well, eh Vladdie?

Posted by mojo 2004-12-08 10:32:30 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:32:30 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Someone pointed out that Americans are far more shocked by this than Europeans. America is almost unique in wanting governors to be "independent" of the ruling party. For the most part, governors are seen as being much like a cross between cabinet ministers and subordinate prime ministers assigned to regional governments, almost like liasons with the national government.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-12-08 10:35:05 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:35:05 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 So this is managed democracy?

Lex, I suggest you read Pipe's "Russia Under the Old Regime." The Russian notion of governance was learned under Mongol tutelage and hasn't improved since.

Posted by Dreadnought 2004-12-08 10:36:10 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:36:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 I know it well, Dread. Informs much of my analysis.

Don, Poland's communist stooges were never able to destroy civil society, as Stalin did. In Poland you have strong and independent free associations of citizens-- unions, the Church, farmers' groups-- that can involve the public in the business of governing themselves and serve as a defense against tyranny.

In Russia, no such associations exist. There are no unions of any consequence. The Church is completely corrupt and commands no allegiance from anyone under 60. Independent farmers were literally killed off in Stalin's war against the peasantry. Russia is quite simply a failing state with vast oil and gas wealth. Nigeria north. But with brilliant scientists, hackers and beautiful women.

Posted by lex 2004-12-08 10:49:27 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:49:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 If Russia was just a "failing state", the problem would have been much smaller than it is. If it was just like Nigeria or Pakistan, the problem would have been small.

The problem however is that Russia is not only a failure in itself, but also the cause of failure in other countries.

(ObRef to Henry IV.)

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-12-08 11:02:41 AM|| 2004-12-08 11:02:41 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Russia is not only a failure in itself, but also the cause of failure in other countries

Typically eurocentric remark. Pakistan has been and still is a cause of "failure" in Afghanistan and NW India. Failed and failing states are always toxic to their neighbors because their governments typically can gain legitimacy only through pointless adventurism directed at their immediate neighbors.

Posted by lex 2004-12-08 11:13:10 AM|| 2004-12-08 11:13:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 Pakistan has been and still is a cause of "failure" in Afghanistan and NW India.

Pakistan AFAIK has stopped from being a significant factor in harming Afghanistan. And as for Kashmir that's a) localized, only a small part of India, doesn't affect democracy in the rest of India b) not sure I'd blame *only* Pakistan for it.

Posted by Aris Katsaris 2004-12-08 11:27:17 AM|| 2004-12-08 11:27:17 AM|| Front Page Top

#11 Pakistan has ceased to destabilize Afghan only because we've threatened Musharraf with political extinction. Again, there's nothing unique about Russia's failure and its effect on foreign policy. Saddam's failed state invaded and terrified his neighbors in order to show his people that ba'athism was the leading edge of pan-Arabism. Castro's failed state sought to destabilize Central America and Bolivia and sent troops to Angola as well.

Posted by lex 2004-12-08 11:42:37 AM|| 2004-12-08 11:42:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#12 I think it serves us all well to remember that Pakistan pursues its own national interests. First, second, third and fourth on that list of national interests is countering India. Much of the prior support of the Taliban was predicated on securing a base to train jihadis to infiltrate Kashmir. There are undoubtedly elements in ISI that would love to see Karzai fail so that they can go back to dominating Afghan politics, but the Pakis probably aren't actively meddling...for the moment.

Posted by Dreadnought 2004-12-08 11:49:00 AM|| 2004-12-08 11:49:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#13 What Putin is really afraid of is having to deal with the Russian equivalent of this governor:

Posted by BigEd 2004-12-08 1:28:18 PM|| 2004-12-08 1:28:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Back to the Soviet model, since that worked so well, eh Vladdie?

Maybe he's insan^H^H^H^H^H expecting a different outcome the next time around?

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-12-08 3:57:27 PM|| 2004-12-08 3:57:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 once a RED KBG, always a RED KGB

Posted by Uleque Hupavise4887 2004-12-08 9:40:05 PM|| 2004-12-08 9:40:05 PM|| Front Page Top

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